Who Are You Serving? Who Is Your Customer?

In order for a large complex system to work, everyone has to be thinking about their interrelationships with the other parts of the larger system. Everybody needs to get into the mindset of continual performance improvement, which begins with a focus on the customer and evaluating what patients or other customers need.

In early November, GBMC staff will be receiving an email about the organization’s 2011 Internal Customer Service Survey.  Staff will be asked to take a brief but important survey, which should take 10 minutes or less to complete. This is an important tactic in our effort to continually improve our service to each other.  The survey tool will be made available for a two-week period between November 7 and November 20 and is web-based and easy to access.  

Staff will be asked to evaluate departments with whom they have had regular interactions. The goal is to capture information that is needed for departments to improve their service and provide an opportunity for recognition.   The survey objectives include:

• To provide a “service” metric for non-clinical departments that are not surveyed by Press Ganey
• To emphasize the importance of “service” to our internal customers that ultimately impacts our patients’ experience.
• To provide a snapshot of how departments are doing with promoting and living our Greater Behaviors.
• For some departments, provide valuable data to compare to last year’s survey results.

As each department works to improve their level of service, we move closer to our vision of "Every Patient, Every Time...as if it was your loved one!” Thank you in advance for taking a few minutes out of your busy day to provide this invaluable information via the survey.

Do you have thoughts on areas of the organization that you work with?  Please share your comments below.

One employee who has been providing excellent service to our customers is Pat Blanding, a Nurse Support Technician on Unit 35.  On behalf of the entire organization I want to congratulate Pat, who was recently recognized by the National Gerontological  Nurses Association (NGNA) with the Excellence in Gerontological Nursing Award.  The award has been established to recognize excellence in individuals who provide care to older adults and is intended to honor a certified nursing assistant who has consistently provided outstanding care to older adults and has been an inspirational role model and mentor to other healthcare workers.  Pat was also the 2010 recipient of the Cynthia Steele Caring Hands Award presented by the Maryland/DC Chapter of NGNA which is designed to honor nursing assistants who strive to provide excellent, compassionate service and highlights the importance of the role of the nursing assistant in the care of older adults.

Unit 35 NST Pat Blanding (left) receiving the Excellence in Gerontological Nursing Award from NGNA President, Sue Carlson at the national convention in Louisville, Kentucky.

This theme of customer service extends to a topic that is likely on the minds of many of our staff – what is the future of our healthcare neighbor, St. Joseph Medical Center. As you might have read on this blog two weeks ago http://ahealthydialogue.blogspot.com/2011/10/results-are-in-learning-from-our.html, Catholic Health Initiatives, owners of SJMC, has issued a request for proposals seeking a strategic partner.  We are exploring a possible response to that RFP, and board chairman Harry Johnson has appointed an ad-hoc subcommittee of the board to work with hospital management to oversee this process.

Unit 46 is ready for its HBO debut.

MICU nurse Michele Cox, RN, CCRN served as a medical consultant for the HBO filming.

Two extras on the set.

Ready to film.

I’ll end this week’s blog with some exciting news – we’re going to be on national television! A crew from the HBO network was at the hospital this week filming a scene for their new comedy show VEEP, which will premiere in early 2012.  The show stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus of Seinfeld fame (“Elaine”), who portrays a fictional United States vice president. Seinfeld is one of my all-time favorite shows, and Elaine in the show was from the Towson area, so it was a natural fit to film here.  It was amazing to see how “Hollywood” transformed one of our units into the set for “Our Lady of Hope Medical Center.” I’ll be sure to let everyone know when the episode is scheduled to air.